Qatar supporters cheering before their 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match in Hong Kong yesterday. Qatar remained top of Group C in the second round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup joint-qualifiers after beating Hong Kong 3-2 at the Mongkok Stadium. The visitors broke the deadlock when Karim Boudiaf put the reigning Gulf champions in front 22 minutes into the top-of-the-table encounter, a lead that Qatar held going into the half-time break. Qatar Football Association (QFA) president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani, applauded the players. He said the side looked motivated to do well. “It was a key win for us and this puts us in a positive frame of mind ahead of our two games in October,” Sheikh Hamad told reporters after watching the game. “We are at the beginning of our qualifying campaign,” he said. “There are important matches to come,” he said. “We have to continue to work hard,” Sheikh Hamad added.
